Vacuum breaker



April 23, 1963 J. E. M AULEY VACUUM BREAKER Filed March-21, 1960 FIG. I.

INVENTOR. JAMES E. MC AULEY United States Patent 3,086,543 VACUUM BREAKER James E. McAuley, Compton, Calif., assignor to California Manufacturing and Equipment Company, Gardena, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 16,428 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-216) The present invention relates to vacuum breakers and more particularly to a simple, inexpensive accessory adapted to be assembled between a sewer connection and one or more drains of appliances supplied with pressurized water, the vacuum breaker being operable automatically to prevent backflow of sewer fluids into such appliances.

There has long been serious objection to the connection of household appliances and the like directly to sewer systems because of the possibility that some condition might possibly occur while the drain connections are open permitting backflow of sewer fluids into the appliance and therefrom into the water supply system to contaminate it. The mere outside possibility that a series of unusual events could conceivably coincide to permit such backflow has led to stringent regulations of a positive protective nature. Attempts have been made to provide protective devices responsive to backflow creating conditions and intended to prevent contamination. For example, these proposals have included automatic valves such as various types of float valves, check valves, and the like intended to respond to backflowing liquids to close off the inlet to the appliance being drained. In practice however, such devices have proven to be most unreliable partly because of the infrequency with which they are brought into operation thereby permitting them to become fouled through non-use, and partly because the backflow may be of a marginal nature and insuflicient to provide positive actuation of the safety device. Contamination admitted while the device is hunting or nonpositively seated is as serious and intolerable as that occurring through more prolonged b-ackflow.

In view of the hazards discussed and the numerous disadvantages and unreliable nature of devices heretofore proposed, there is provided by the present invention a simple, inexpensive, rugged vacuum breaker accessory adapted to be inserted between the appliance drain and the sewer connection which entirely avoids the shortcomings of prior devices. The present vacuum breaker employs no moving parts, check valves or other com ponents, but instead includes one or more large area venting ports so disposed as not to spill drainage water but which are instantly and positively effective to prevent the existence of a low pressure condition within the drainpipe thereby preventing the backflow of sewer fluids into the appliance. And even though the sewer fluids should back up owing to abnormal conditions in the sewer, still it is not possible for these fluids to flow into the appliance. A further feature of the accessory is the provision of a plurality of drain inlet openings in order that the device may be utilized to service more than one appliance.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved vacuum breaker adapted to be assembled between the sewer and the drain of an appliance and positively effective to prevent the back- 3,086,543 Patented Apr. '23, 1963 flow of sewer fluid to an appliance connected with a water supply system.

Another object of the invention is the provision of the one-piece vacuum breaker devoid of moving parts and instantly operable to prevent the existence of a subatmospheric pressure condition within an appliance drain connection to a sewer. I

Another object of the invention is the provision of a vacuum breaker accessory formed in one piece devoid of moving parts and having a plurality of water inlets each adapted to be connected to the drain of a different water supplied appliance.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the invention connected between the drains of typical household water served appliances and a sewer;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the vacuum breaker; and

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 3--3 on FIGURE 2.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 1, a vacuum breaker designated generally 10 is there shown in a typical installation with its outlet 11 seated in a fluid-tight manner to a riser 12 opening into a sewer pipe 13. The upper end of the vacuum breaker is provided with an inlet fitting 14 here shown as threadedly connected to the discharge end of a drainpipe -15 extending from a typical household water-serviced appliance such as a storage tank water softener or the like designated generally 17. It will be understood that inlet 14 to vacuum breaker 10 may be connected to various water served appliances customarily found in the home or in places of business and connected directly to a municipal water system or other source of pressurized water.

Not infrequently the servicing of an appliance at one location or the occurrence of an abnormal condition within the water supply system will create an abnormal condition therein effective to drain water from other parts of the system thereby creating sub atmospheric pressure conditions within certain portions of the system. Should this low pressure condition occur in an appliance when its drain valve is open, it will be apparent that the low pressure will be transmitted through the drain, such as drainpipe 15 to sewer '13. If the liquid level in the sewer is sufficiently high, this suction condition will be effective to elevate sewage into the dr-ainpipe and into the interior of the appliance.

The manner in which this hazard is positively prevented by the present invention will now be described by references to FIGURES 2 and 3. The main housing of the vacuum breaker .10 is there shown as being formed from identical sheet metal members 21, 22 having flanged mating edges 23 suitably secured together as by brazing, welding or the like. The lower ends of the two halves cooperate to provide a circular outlet 24 secured to threaded fitting 11 as by welding 25. The enlarged upper end of the tubular housing is divided into two inlet chambers by an arcuate partition 26 having its upper end secured to the inlet fitting ring 14 by welding 27. The portions of housing half 21 contiguous to ring 14 are likewise welded to the inlet fitting.

Inlet fitting 14 is provided with a plurality of large air passages or vacuum breaker openings 30 about its circumference, the axis of these openings preferably being inclined inwardly and downwardly. Desirably, openings 30 are disposed below and slightly outwardly from the annular lip 31 in order that the normal flow of drain water from drainpipe 15 cannot escape through air inlets 30.

Although the sewer riser 12 is here shown as terminating appreciably above floor 35, this is not essential and it is to be understood that the riser inlet may be at any convenient elevation, such as flush with the floor or even disposed below the floor and close to the inlet junction of sewer 13. As herein shown, riser 12 terminates at a convenient level for the alternate inlet opening 37 of vacuum breaker 10 to receive and support the outlet gooseneck 38 f a drain hose 39 of an automatic washing machine designated generally 40. As clearly appears from FIGURE 1, vacuum breaker inlet 37 provides a loose fitting seat for gooseneck 38.

The operation of vacuum breaker will be quite apparent from the foregoing detailed description of its structure and operative relationship to the sewer and the drains of typical water-serviced household appliances. Normally, vacuum breaker 10 serves merely to convey the drainage from appliances 17 and 40 to the sewer through riser 12, it being apparent that the capacity of the flow passages formed by the tubular housing of breaker 10* are appreciably greater than the combined flow capacities of the two drains connected to its upper end. It is pointed out that drainpipe for appliance 17 is normally closed in any suitable manner, such as by the hand-operated drain valve 42, this valve being closed except when it is desired to drain water from the appliance to the sewer.

Should some abnormal condition exist within either appliance connected to vacuum breaker 10 causing the existence of a sub-atmospheric pressure condition within the appliance, such low pressure condition will be communicated to the upper end of vacuum breaker 10. However, it is impossible for this low pressure condition to be communicated to the sewer because of the presence of the large air openings 30 in inlet ring 114. As will be recognized, these openings function to maintain substantially atmospheric pressure conditions within breaker 19 at all times. Hence, it is impossible for the low pressure to be applied to fluids flowing in sewer 13. Immediately upon resumption of pressure conditions within the appliance while drain valve 4-2 is open, drain water resumes its flow downwardly through device 10 for discharge to the sewer through riser 12.

Accordingly, from the foregoing it will be seen that the described vacuum breaker functions automatically for the purpose described and provides a positive safeguard against the possibility of sewer fluids being sucked into the appliances served. Even should sewer fluids back up in the sewer connection, they cannot flow into either of the appliance drainpipes by way of vacuum breaker 10 because of the large area escape passages 30 which now function as sewer fluid outlet openings allowing the fluid to escape without possibility of passing through either gooseneck drain connection into the appliance itself. Immediately upon resumption of normal sewer conditions or normal pressure conditions within the water supply system, the vacuum breaker is restored to normal operation Without need for attention by the user.

While the particular vacuum breaker herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of con- 4 struction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an appliance connected in circuit with a pressurized potable water system of the type having a drain pipe connected to a sewer, that improvement for safeguarding against the possibility of an abnormal low pressure condition in said appliance effecting a back flow of fluid from the sewer into said pressurized water system which comprises a vacuum breaker adapted for assembly between said sewer and the drain pipe from said appliance, said vacuum breaker comprising an elongated tubular housing free of flow restrictions and having an outlet opening at its lower end and a plurality of inlet openings at its upper end, said outlet opening being connected to said sewer and one of said inlet openings being connected to the drainpipe of said appliance, venting port means adjacent the inlet end of said vacuum breaker for admitting air thereinto upon the occurrence of sub-atmospheric pressure conditions at the inlet end of said vacuum breaker for the purpose of preventing a low pressure condition existing within said inlet to cause sewer fiuid to pass thereinto, the other of said inlet openings being for the purpose of detachably seating therein the separate drain connection of a different appliance connected to said pressurized water supply system.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that said elongated tubular housing includes means dividing the inlet end portion thereof into a pair of generally parallel drain water receiving passages in vertical alignment with a respective one of said inlet openings at the upper end of said vacuum breaker, and said passages merging at their lower ends with one another at a point above said outlet opening.

3. A vacuum breaker comprising an elongated tubular metal housing free of valves and relatively moveable parts and designed to be installed with its longitudinal axis upright, said housing having a threaded outlet opening at its lower end adapted to be threaded to a sewerconnected drain pipe, the upper end of said housing being of generally elliptical shape in cross-section and opening upwardly through a first and a second inlet opening, said first inlet opening being threaded for connection to a threaded pipe draining into said vacuum breaker, a radially narrow annular lip projecting inwardly from the interior side wall of said housing on a generally horizontal plane disposed closely below said threaded inlet opening, a plurality of air vents opening generally radially through the side wall of said housing closely below said narrow annular lip, a vertically disposed divider partition forming part of said housing and extending crosswise of the minor axis of the elliptically-shaped upper end thereof and positioned between and separating said first and second inlet openings from one another, the interior of said second inlet opening and said divider partition cooperating with the adjacent interior surfaces of said tubular housing to provide a long passage having substantially parallel vertically-disposed side walls for detachably seating therein a drainage hose of a household appliance.

4. A vacuum breaker device adapted to be rigidly secured to a vertical riser from a sewer and to have one or more water drain pipes discharging into the upper end thereof from appliances connected in circuit with a pressurized potable water supply system, said vacuum breaker comprising an elongated tubular metal housing having a threaded fitting at its lower end for connecting the same in an upright position to the upper end of a riser from a sewer, said housing being free of valves and internal flow restrictors between the opposite ends thereof, a transverse partition dividing the upper end of said housing into a plurality of vertically disposed chambers, a threaded tubular fitting having a plurality of vacuum breaking air inlets through the side walls thereof fixed in a fluid-tight manner to the upper end of one of said chambers and adapted to be threadedly connected to the drain pipe of one of said appliances, and the upper end of the other one of said chambers being sufficiently large as to receive freely therewithin a discharge end of a drain hose of a washing machine or the like appliance.

5. A vacuum breaker as defined in claim 4 characterized in that said tubular housing is of generally elliptical shape in cross-section except at its lower discharge end.

6. A vacuum breaker as defined in claim 4 characterized in that said tubular housing is formed of two generally identical sheet metal halves of U-shape in crosssection and having out-turned flanges extending along their opposite lateral edges, the rfianges of said halves abutting one another and being secured together in a fluid-tight manner and serving to reinforce said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 728,734 Lovely May 19, 1903 2,105,044 Kocour Jan. 11, 1938 2,288,247 Kunstorff June 30, 1942 2,295,986 Boosely Sept. 15, 194-2 2,840,099 Brazier June 24, 1958 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN APPLIANCE CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH A PRESSURIZED POTABLE WATER SYSTEM OF THE TYPE HAVING A DRAIN PIPE CONNECTED TO A SEWER, THAT IMPROVEMENT FOR SAFEGUARDING AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ABNORMAL LOW PRESSURE CONDITION IN SAID APPLIANCE EFFECTING A BACK FLOW OF FLUID FROM THE SEWER INTO SAID PRESSURIZED WATER SYSTEM WHICH COMPRISES A VACUUM BREAKER ADAPTED FOR ASSEMBLY BETWEEN SAID SEWER AND THE DRAIN PIPE FROM SAID APPLIANCE, SAID VACUUM BREAKER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR HOUSING FREE OF FLOW RESTRICTIONS AND HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING AT ITS LOWER END AND A PLURALITY OF INLET OPENINGS AT ITS UPPER END, SAID OUTLET OPENING BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SEWER AND ONE OF SAID INLET OPENINGS BEING CONNECTED TO THE DRAINPIPE OF SAID APPLIANCE, VENTING PORT MEANS ADJACENT THE INLET END OF SAID VACUUM BREAKER FOR ADMITTING AIR THEREINTO UPON THE OCCURRENCE OF SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE CONDITIONS AT THE INLET END OF SAID VACUUM BREAKER FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING A LOW PRESSURE CONDITION EXISTING WITHIN SAID INLET TO CAUSE SEWER FLUID TO PASS THEREINTO, THE OTHER OF SAID INLET OPENINGS BEING FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETACHABLY SEATING THEREIN THE SEPARATE DRAIN CONNECTION OF A DIFFERENT APPLIANCE CONNECTED TO SAID PRESSURIZED WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM. 